The Fill-In Girlfriend
by R.A.Ripleys
Summary: Draco asks Hermione to fill in as his girlfriend for several ministry events and falls head over heels for her. The question is, does she feel the same way?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: As I said in my announcement on my profile, here is a revised version of this chapter. I figured it was easiest since I had only posted one chapter so far anyway. Don't fret! Chapter 2 is in the works already and will hopefully be posted soon! Sorry for keeping you all waiting so long for this.**

 **P.S. I'm still searching for a beta so if you're interested, please message me!**

 **~MIA~**

* * *

 _Middle of September_

"Draco, are you even listening to me?" Astoria asked me. Truth is, I was. Sort of. I was listening, albeit distracted by the way her soft blonde curls waved at me as someone opened the door near us and rushed passed out table. She was telling me that she wasn't happy anymore. That I never listened to her when she spoke, never remembered things like her birthday or her favorite color. Which was yellow, by the way. Odd choice for a Slytherin; but who am I to judge, my favorite color is blue. Deep, dark navy. Not bright like the color of the sky or a Ravenclaw scarf.

"Yes, Tori. I'm listening." Yes, I really was listening. I just wasn't processing what she was saying. Not very well anyway. It kind of sounded like she was telling me it was over. I had to be sure my head wasn't playing games with me. After another minute or so, I asked, "Are you still going to the Deregistration of Werewolves Gala with me?" Mother is expecting me to be there with Tori.

Mother plans charity events for the Ministry. The Gala for the Deregistration of Werewolves is going to be one of the biggest events she has planned for as long as I can remember. The ballroom will be opened onto the patio in the garden to accommodate the number of guests expected to be there.

"I don't think that's going to be a good idea, Draco." Astoria almost looked sad. Almost. I could see a hint of relief in her face before she schooled herself the way only a pureblood witch or wizard could do. I wasn't sure how I felt about this. I'm still not sure. Is this what heartbreak is like?

"Why would it not be a good idea?" I asked, trying to get the shakiness out of my voice before the words left my mouth. I probably shouldn't have asked but I needed to know. This seemed like it was coming from nowhere.

Astoria looked as if she were trying to find the right words. She was silent for a long while before she replied, "I am going with someone else." Wow. Way to just let the ball drop on that one. It's a good thing I grew up a pureblood and knew how to keep my calm in uncomfortable situations. A wonderful thing, indeed, as I currently felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Or maybe this is what it feels like to receive the Kiss. I'm grateful I will never have to find out which is worse.

"I'm assuming you don't want me to know who the lucky wizard is." I replied after a few moments. I honestly couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment.

She looked up and finally caught my eyes for the first time during the whole conversation. "I wanted this to be as easy as possible. Besides, I didn't want you to overreact when you found out."

"So be it." So be it? Who the hell am I? Some cartoon character from a crappy muggle movie? I had been introduced to the telly by my best friend Blaise Zabini a few years ago and his favorite thing to watch is old movies made by a company called Disney.

I stood up and made my way over to the bar. Tom, the bartender of the Leaky Cauldron, was putting away some clean shot glasses. "Tom, I have to check out earlier than I thought. Please make sure Astoria's bill for today gets charged to my vault." I walked back over to Astoria to say goodbye. She stood up and hugged me. I almost lost it when she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Draco."

I couldn't stay anymore. I had to get out of there. I hurried to the door and stepped out into Diagon Alley where I could get lost in a sea of people who couldn't care less who I was or what had just happened to me.

* * *

"Ronald, you can't keep getting angry with me over these things. I'm the assistant to the Minister. I can't just blow off my job for quidditch!" I was practically shouting at him. He was angry because I wouldn't say no to the Minister of Magic when I was asked to head another research project.

It seemed to me like all Ronald ever did was talk about quidditch or watch quidditch, or play quidditch. His whole life was about quidditch and he stayed angry that mine was not. I actually had very little interest in quidditch.

It was as if we had absolutely nothing in common anymore. I loved him, yes. But I couldn't for the life of me remember why we were still together. It was a life of constant bickering and it was always about putting my job above quidditch. He didn't seem to understand that I wanted more.

"I'm getting angry because you don't seem to care about me anymore. You never want to spend time with me and all you ever do is work!" He yelled back at me. Maybe he was right. I really didn't want to spend time with him, at least not when that time consisted of only quidditch. But I did care about him, didn't I?

I stood up from the kitchen table in the flat that we shared. Ron was standing by the sink and I walked over to him. I caught him off guard when I hugged him tightly around the neck. After a few seconds that seems like ages, he wrapped his arms around my back. I looked up at him, his arms still around me, and cupped his cheeks in my hands. "Ron, you know I care about you. I care about you more than anyone else in this world. I just have different priorities at the moment. My work at the Ministry is important and it could help a lot of people."

He smiled at me. "I know 'Mione. I just can't stand to spend another night alone. I mean, we live together, for Merlin's sake, and I hardly ever see you."

"I'm sorry, Ron. I'm not sure what to do to fix this. I try to be here as much as I can. It's just gotten so busy at work lately and it's been harder for me to break away."

"Hermione, I love you. I need you to be here for me too. If you can't make that happen, then…" he trailed off, like he didn't want to finish was he was saying. He let go of me and I backed up a little bit.

"Then what, Ron?" I asked, almost timidly. I know what he was about to say. Did I want him to go there? Did I want him to try and make me choose between him and my job?

"Then I'll have to leave. I didn't want it to come to this, 'Mione. But if you can't choose me over your job then when you get home, I won't be here."

He was talking about my new assignment from the Minister. I had to do some research, some of which involved traveling, to find some substitutes for potions ingredients to make the potions cheaper. Mostly, I was looking at cutting the cost of Wolfsbane, but that was not the only one on my list.

"Ronald, you know I have to do this assignment. I'm trying to become Minister of Magic one day and I can't do that by blowing off assignments handed to me by the Minister himself."

"Then I'm sorry Hermione. When you get back, I won't be here." He leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. He then walked away from me, through the kitchen door and into the living room. He walked into the bedroom and shut the door. I assumed he had started packing his things. I walked over to the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of floo powder from the small cauldron hanging on the hearth. I threw it in and said "Assistant to the Minister's Office" and before I knew what was happening, I was back at the Ministry, looking at my mahogany desk that was covered with paperwork and lists that I was going to need for my travels.

I sat down and started crying. I didn't think I was going to feel as bad as I did. But I was also sort of relieved. I felt like I could breathe again. I never again had to feel guilt about not going to a quidditch match. I knew then that I would be just fine, even if it took a little while to feel that way.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know this is later and shorter than I thought it would be. Again. I'm sorry. It's rough running your own business as a stay at home mom to 5 kids and finding time to write. I am also working on my entry for BTBFFN Champagne & Countdowns Fest as well as revising my other stories. Keep in mind that I also made some revisions to chapter 1 of this fic and just uploaded it before I posted this one so if you didn't just read it, you may want to refresh your memory. Nothing major changed. Mainly wording and grammar. Thanks for following my stories and for all your patience. I'm hoping to stay on top of my writing more and not let all you lovely readers down! Hope you all enjoy!**

 **~MIA~**

* * *

 _Beginning of October_

"Zabini, it's been almost three weeks. Not even so much as an owl from her. I think she's really serious." I told my best friend. Other than Theo, Blaise knows me best out of everyone. We sat there in his study. He supplied the firewhiskey. I supplied the story of how Astoria broke my heart. I made sure not to leave out any of the details. He would know if I did anyway.

Blaise sat in his chair next to me in front of the roaring fireplace and looked at me with a slack jaw and questions bubbling over and out of the top of his head. "Damn, Drake. It really seemed like you and Astoria would be together forever."

"Thanks for the reminder, Zabini," I said, sounding much colder than I meant to. I tried to remember that he was just as dumbfounded by the whole situation as I had been weeks ago.

"And you have no idea what happened? Why she would just up and leave like that?" he asked me. I just shook my head and stared ahead into the flames that blazed before us. I had absolutely no inclination as to why any of this happened. None of her reasons made sense to me. Blaise seemed just as clueless as I was.

"Well," my friend started, bringing my out of the trance the flames held on me. "Might as well get ready for this thing." He stood up and began walking towards the door of the study to head upstairs.

I groaned. Loudly. I had forgotten all about it. "That's tonight?" I questioned.

"Astoria really messed with your head, didn't she?" he probed, leaning against the door frame, waiting for me to follow him.

"Bollocks," I said aloud. "I forgot mother needed me to be there to help with last minute preparations. Let's make it quick. We need to be at Picton Castle in an hour."

Blaise looked at me questioningly. "Why Picton? Isn't it run down from not being used in so long? I don't think I've been there since that Christmas we all went together when we were five."

I followed him up the stairs towards the guest bedroom I often used. "Mother had it repaired and redecorated over the last few months specifically for this Gala." Then I remembered… "BOLLOCKS!" I shouted, nearly taking Blaise by surprise.

"Merlin, Drake. What is it?" he chided. I glared at him for a moment before speaking.

"I forgot to tell mother…"

He stared at me, slack jawed, for a few moments. "Bollocks," he replied.

Bollocks indeed.

* * *

I'd come home to attend the Gala for the Deregistration of Werewolves and, true to his word, Ron was gone. I'd checked the closet and dresser for his clothes. Nothing. Feeling my heart sink, I went back out into the living room and checked the bookshelf. All of his quidditch books were missing. I sat down on the fluffy armchair by the window in the living room and put my face in my hands, my elbows resting on my knees, and let out an agonizing sob. He was really gone. He wouldn't have left without his quidditch books. He loved them as much as I loved every other kind of book. I knew from the moment I flooed away three weeks ago that he would leave, but the realization of being alone finally hit me and I could not hold back my tears without my work to distract me.

The clock on the wall chimed. When I looked up, I realized I should be getting ready for the Gala or I would be late. I wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands and stood up, moving somewhat reluctantly through our bed… _my_ bedroom… to the adjoining bathroom for a quick shower. Ginny would be over to help me with my hair soon and I needed to be ready.

My head was pounding as I stood under the stream of hot water, trying to will the pain away. I almost stood there too long because I was just stepping out of the shower when I heard the floo and Ginny calling for me.

"I'm in the bathroom!" I yelled back, loud enough for her to hear me on the other end of the flat. I winced in pain as my head throbbed again. Ginny walked in a moment later, red hair bouncing happily in her wake. She stopped upon seeing me and asked in a worried tone, "What's wrong "Mione?"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that Ron had left. If she didn't know already, that meant that Ron was also keeping it to himself. And for now, I followed suit. "I just have a headache, Gin. Could you pass me that vial of pain potion from the cupboard please?" I asked while still towel drying my hair.

The cupboard squeaked loudly as she opened it and I winced again. Her eyes revealed a level of concern I wasn't aware anyone could possess as she handed me the vial of green, shimmering liquid. I downed its contents and immediately felt relief as my headache quickly subsided but my features still betrayed my heartache. I was grateful that she decided not to push the issue and instead came to stand behind me and ran her hands through my hair.

"What would we ever do with your hair if we didn't have Sleakeasy's?" Ginny joked and we both laughed, the mood lightening just enough for us to continue getting ready without much tension.

We pulled on our gowns after finishing with hair and makeup and stood in front of the floor to ceiling mirror that covered the wall next to the vanity in my bathroom. Ginny radiated her excitement for the night's festivities but it was all I could do to plaster as much of a convincing smile as I could to hide my anxiety.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed as she twirled around, letting her gown flow around her like a ballerina. "Are you ready to go?"

"I supposed. It's improper to be late when you're supposed to be the center of attention at a formal function," I responded somewhat dolefully. And before she had a chance to comment on my mood, I grabbed her arm and apparated us to the front entrance of Picton Castle.


End file.
